8/16 - Join SALGA at the India Day Parade

COME SHOW YOUR PRIDE AT

THE INDIA DAY PARADE!

Join SALGA as we march with the Sakhi contingent in our efforts
to battle homophobia, discrimination and domestic violence.

Sunday, August 16th 12pm - 3pm

Madison Avenue & 40th Street

A key part of SALGA’s reason for being is to stand up for South Asian LGBT people, let people know that we exist, and fight for our rights.

SALGA has a long history of fighting against discrimination and creating visibility in the South Asian LGBT community.  As part of this history, SALGA has sometimes marched in the annual India Day Parade and sometimes been denied the right to march, in which case we have protested the parade.

One thing which has held true for many years, though, is that whenever we have been present at the India Day Parade, people have remembered us.  We have made a lasting impression.

The young boy who was too afraid to come out to his family remembered us and came out at SALGA several years later.  The homophobic man who saw us with his family remembered us and remembered to mention his disdain for us years later to a casual family acquaintance (who turned out, unbeknownst to him, to be gay).

Writers and academics remembered us and applauded us for our courage.

Another truth which has also remained unchanged for many years is a sadder one. We have consistently encountered discrimination, both officially and informally, at the hands of other South Asians.

This year, our application to march in the India Day Parade was ignored and our follow-ups were not acknowledged.

But we will not let discrimination, disdain and narrow-mindedness prevail.  We will not let homophobia oppress us. Since we cannot march at the parade as our own contingent, SALGA members will march with SAKHI.

Please join us to stand up and show our strength, to show other South Asians that we exist among them, that we are creative, sensitive, and fun human beings who live and love just like everyone else.  Please join us to raise our voice against discrimination and to demand equality.

8/27 - Join SALGA with Rakesh Satyal, author of “Blue Boy”

The SALGA Book Club invites you to join us with

Rakesh Satyal
Début author of Blue Boy
(Check out Rakesh’s interview on our Blog)

Thursday, August 27th, 2009 @ 7pm
Bluestockings Bookstore

172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington
(1 block south of Houston Street & 1st Avenue on the Lower East Side)
Subway:  F train to 2nd Avenue or JMZ to Essex / Delancy Street

Join us for Brunch!

Don’t miss our upcoming brunch!

Sunday, May 31st from 12:30 - 2:30pm
at NIRVANA
Located at 346 Lexington Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets

Complimentary Screwdrivers and Bloody Marys
Brunch for $13.95 per person

Manhattan Pride Parade - Jun 28th

Manhattan Pride Parade - Sunday June 28, 2009
Come and march alongside the SALGA Float - live Dhol player and Bollywood music!

Marching with salga at the pride parade!

Volunteering for pride: contact us at salganyc@hotmail.com to volunteer and/or to contribute to the pride festivities in any way!

The SALGA-NYC Steering Committee

SALGA NYC Steering Committee Coordinators: Rohan Sooklall and Rekha

Rohan has been involved with SALGA for many years. He is especially interested in creating a vibrant space for SALGA youth, and expanding the SALGA mandate to include support discussions, seminars and workshops on wider non-traditional SALGA issues in the community; substance abuse, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, among others.

Rekha has been a member of the steering committee since September, 2008.  As co-coordinator of the steering committee she is responsible for making sure SALGA runs smoothly. She aims to increase the participation and visibility of SALGA NYC in the LGBT and the larger South Asian community with the help of the rest of the steering committee and the greater SALGA NYC community.

She is an active member and organizer of SALGA NYC events including Pride. She has also facilitated the support group.

Aneesa, Director of Support, focusing on women’s, trans and gender non-conforming people’s inclusion

Aneesa has been a SALGA Steering member since September, 2008.  Zir is a Director of Support and also manages SALGA finances.  Zir was instrumental in the development of SALGA’s new telephone hotline. Zir oversees the hotline’s weekly operations.

Aneesa is particularly interested in reaching those people in the community who have traditionally been underserved. Zir hopes to help SALGA become as inclusive as possible so that all people feel welcome. Zir works with Deen to further this common vision.

Deen, Director of Support, focusing on trans inclusion

Deen has been a member of SALGA for almost ten years. As a steering member, he is enthusiastic about bringing a greater awareness of our South Asian trans community - both reaching out to those members who feel that the gender they were assigned at birth does not adequately describe them, as well as reaching out to non-transgender members of the community and facilitating discussion and understanding so that our entire SALGA community can become a more welcoming environment. “As South Asians, we encompass a wealth of diversity, from our national heritages, the languages we speak, the spiritualities we believe in, the socioeconomic classes we span, to the sexualities and genders we live — we have a lot offer one another.” He is currently one of the Support Coordinators.

Jimmy, Director of Communications

Jimmy has been a volunteer with SALGA for about a year and Steering member since March, 2010. Jimmy publicizes SALGA and SALGA’s many events. In addition, he manages the website and the SALGA listserve. Jimmy also works with other steering committee members on projects such as film screenings, Pride and potlucks.

Jimmy is a freelance Buildings Expediter and Buildings Code Consultant. Jimmy graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s in mathematics.

Lakshman, Director of SALGA Youth Group and Political Outreach

Lakshman has been a SALGA Steering member since September, 2008 and takes a key role in managing the Youth Group, working for political outreach and support.  Lakshman also helps with Communications.  In 2009, Lakshman was instrumental in making SALGA’s participation in the Manhattan Pride parade the most successful in our history.

The Support, Outreach and Youth committee is here to provide support and information to the South Asian queer community. The monthly support group meetings will continue to be held on the second Saturday of each month from 2p.m until 4p.m. at the LGBTQ Center in Manhattan. There is also a support group meeting specifically for those in the 13-24 age range.

Priyanka, Director of Political Outreach

Priyanka Mitra has been a political activist for several years now. She has worked for Marriage Equality in New York and on other queer rights & anti-war campaigns. Along with Lakshman, Priyanka was instrumental in helping SALGA have our best ever presence at the Manhattan Pride Parade in 2009.  She hopes to take SALGA in a more activist direction and encourage the community to participate in their own political futures. Priyanka hopes to make SALGA accessible to marginalized commmunites, especially to LGBT South Asians who are HIV + or living with AIDS.

Shawn, Director of Communications

Shawn has been on the steering committee since March 2010 as Communications Chair.  He is excited to work on ensuring the queer desi community feels empowered and excited to participate in SALGA’s activities, events, and advocacy.

Shawn currently works on HIV prevention-related issues at a public relations firm specializing in public health. Previously, he interned in the press offices of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Originally from California, Shawn holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, where he was active in the queer community and served as an elected official in student government.

Shree, Director of Volunteer Management

Shree is a SALGA participant since 2000. She served on SALGA Steering from 2001-2003 as a Support coordinator and then went on to manage SALGA Communications. Shree’s current role is to help SALGA grow by bringing in new volunteers from the community and to on-board them in ways that are fulfilling for volunteers and ensure future successes for SALGA.